“He said he didn’t have too much time to try to find too many guys that were open,” Sharper said. “If we play good coverage on the back end and those front four go after the quarterback like they did today, we’re going to be hard to beat.”

The pass rush was a key because of heavy pressure by the Vikings, who sacked Warner four times and hurried him 11 times. Coming off the ends, Jared Allen had two sacks and Brian Robison added another. Kevin Williams had three hurries.

“That was huge to get in his face and make him pat that ball and sidearm some throws, and just a multitude of different things he had to do to just try to get the ball to those (receivers),” Williams said. “We got in his face, which really made a big difference.”

Getting a big lead early helped the Vikings’ defense, Williams said. The Vikings led 21-0 by the end of the first quarter.

“It’s always tough when you get yourself in a hole, and you are throwing every snap and you are going against a team that has a great pass rush anyways,” Warner said. “We fed right into their hands on both sides of the ball. (Minnesota) being a running football team, to be able to use the clock and run the ball and hand it off, we played into their hands by giving them the lead early, no question.”

The Cardinals have had problems against big, talented defensive lines, and this game was another example.

“They couldn’t just do what they want,” Williams said. “Normally they’ve had the lead a lot in their games, and they can throw the little dink and doink passes that are just as good as the run. For us to have the lead early and make them have to try to go a little further down the field (with passes) was big for us.”

Linebackers blitzed as well and added to the problems for Warner, with Chad Greenway and Napoleon Harris each credited with a half sack. Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier used different calls, which rattled Warner.

“He mixed up fronts, fired up blitzes, man blitzes and was able to get some guys home (to the quarterback),” coach Brad Childress said.

Said Allen: “It was a good day overall. Everything from game plan to execution went well.”

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